ROTATION OF OROPS. 123 
of 300 to 600 lbs. of cotton-seed meal, or 500 
lbs. of a standard fertilizer. 
Importance of rotation recognized.—In the 
rotation system the fact must not be lost sight 
of that the soil may be kept free of weeds to 
the best advantage. Grass land, followed by a 
hoed crop, permits clean cultivation. 
The importance of rotation is recognized to- 
day by the practical farmer, even though he 
may not understand the principles underlying 
the practice. 
In experiments at the Purdue University 
station very notable gains are shown in favor 
of rotation as applied to Indian corn. 
An experiment was begun in 1880 to com- 
pare different systems of cropping without 
using manures. On one series of plats grain is 
grown in succession year after year, or two 
crops alternating with each other, these crops 
being corn, oats, wheat. On another series of 
plats the same crops have been grown in rota- 
tion with clover or timothy. The yields of 
corn on the two series for 1895, and the average 
yields for the last six years, as given by Prof. 
W. C. Latta, are as follows:* 
1893. Average for 6 years. 
Crops grown in rotation.....22.2 bu. 31.99 bu. 
Grain crops only grown.,....15,1 bu. 27.46 bu. 
Gain from rotation....... ‘DE: 4.53 bu, 
* Purdue University agricultural experiment station, Bul- 
letin 50, April, 1894. 
